Listen Up

I truly believe that one of the best qualities a person can possess is being a good listener. Everybody wants someone to listen to what they have to say, and everyone wants someone to affirm that what they are saying is of value and have people relate to it...lately this has hit home. 

Everybody wants a little bit of what they don't have. Most introverts say they wish they were more outgoing or outward with their feelings & expressions. On the other hand, being an extrovert I see the value in being reserved. I am not reserved, I do not spend my time at a party in one spot talking to the same people, and in no way am I a wall flower. But people who possess this personality should see the positive in it, and why I envy them. Spending time with a choice amount of people builds relationships, being shy makes others wonder what you're all about, actions speak louder than words.

Listening and unbiased observation teaches you more about yourself than anything in the world. When you are within a situation it is hard to disembody yourself from that situation and see it effectively. Being an observer displaces you from the immediate situation and allows more direct insight. This explains why you are able to tell your friend point-blank what the problem within her relationship is when she asks what is going wrong. But, being directly involved in the relationship, she can't see it. Why is it so hard to just do what you know is right? Deep down in your conscious mind, you know what you need to do in a situation, but when you are directly involved, different factors play in to cloud the thinking process.

I suppose where I am going with this is that approaching situations unbiasedly, gathering information before making a judgment, and most of all observing & listening to the people around you are all positive attributes that I value and strive to be better in.